PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A quarter of a century into this millennium, a look at the Steelers best position-by-position. The group includes three Hall of Famers and a few who will get a bust someday.
Offense
QB-Ben Roethlisberger
· Terry Bradshaw retired in the ‘80s, it makes this comparison easy
RB-Jerome Bettis, Le’Veon Bell
· Hall of Famer and 3-time Pro Bowler. Willie Parker is a great story and had a Super Bowl winning 75-yard touchdown, but not better than Bell.
WR-Hines Ward, Antonio Brown, Santonio Holmes
· It’s the third receiver that is difficult. Plaxico Burress had the most yards (4206 yards), followed by Mike Wallace (4042 yards) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (3855 yards) and more TD (26), but Holmes in 4 seasons with the Steelers, 3835 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns and a Super Bowl MVP.
TE-Heath Miller
· Pat Freiermuth could move into the top 20 Steelers receivers of all time in 2025, but Miller is 4th overall with 45 touchdowns
OT-Marvel Smith, Max Starks
· The talk in the locker room at the time was the one player no one wanted to mess with was Smith, Big Ben’s left tackle won a pair of Super Bowls before retiring following a nine-year career. Starks was an even bigger human, a Super Bowl champ and still a part of the Steelers organization
G-Alan Faneca, David DeCastro
C-Maurkice Pouncey
· Jeff Hartings in a short time won a Super Bowl, but Pouncey followed in the line of the greats. Who is the best since 2000 might be more of a debate in 10 years if Zack Frazier continues his progression.
Defense
NT-Casey Hampton
· the middle of one of the best defenses in team history, playing 173 games
DT-Cam Heyward, Aaron Smith
· Brett Keisel was a rock playing in 156 games, Stephon Tuitt had a ton of talent, but the top 2 was fairly simple
OLB-James Harrison, TJ Watt
· LaMarr Woodley could be on most teams with 57 sacks, as could Joey Porter, Sr. with 60 sacks and 10 picks, however Harrison and Watt each forced 33 fumbles, they are two of the top three in Steelers career sacks.
ILB-James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons
· The pair played together for five seasons and are one-two in Steelers career tackles with a combined 96 passes defensed and 20 interceptions
S-Troy Polamalu, Minkah Fitzpatrick
· Ryan Clark is the argument here, a Super Bowl champ with over 100 more tackles, but Minkah has made more impact plays (6 more picks, 3 more TD, 1 more forced fumble, 52 more passes defensed)
CB-Ike Taylor, Deshea Townsend
· Bryant McFadden had 9 picks and 41 passes defensed, but Townsend is second in team history in PD with 21 interceptions
K-Chris Boswell
· Early in the 2000s it would have been Jeff Reed, but Boswell is the best kicker in the game right now
P-Jordan Berry
· Steelers drafted Pressley Harvin to replace him, but Berry has the fourth most punts in team history and averaged 44.4 yards a kick, best of any kicker with over 224 career attempts.
The head coach, you tell us.